Means for and method of treating fourdrinier wire belts



June 30, 1931. B WEISSENBORN 1,811,870

MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF TREATING FOURDRINIB'R WIRE BELTS Filed Nov. 13, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ITIG. 3 c3? W/ TNESSES mn e/y TOR A. B. WIEISSENBORN 1,811,870

June 30,1931.

I MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF TREATING FOURDRINIER WIRE BELTS 15. 1929 SSheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov.

"I I HHHIY ET/ 5555 2'6 d. 25%@\ OR Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES ALBERT B. WEISSENBORN, 0F APPLETOE, WISCONSIN, AS$IGNOR .TO APPLETON WIRE PATEN WORKS, OF APPLETON, VIISGONSIN, Av CORPORATION 033 "WISCONSIN MEANS non AND METHOD or TREATING 'rounnnrnrnn WIRE BELTS.

Application filed November 13, 1929. Serial No. 406,887.

The invention relates to the treatment of F ourdrinier wire belts to prevent what is commonly known as suction box scoring.

During the travel of a Fourdrinier wire belt over the suction boxes of a paper making machine, there is a tendency for the knuckles of the cloth to wear grooves in the upper surface of the suction boxes with the result that ridges are left between the grooves. These ridges are highly objectionable, since they have a cutting action on the seam which connects the ends of the woven wire fabric, causing early failure of the seam and rendering the wire belt prematurely useless.

Various expedients have been suggested to overcome suction box scoring or grooving. On some paper making machines the suction boxes are made to reciprocate but this cannot always be done and is not entirely satisfactory in use.

As another expedient, the woven wire belt has been given a slightly zigzag shape to equalize the wear on the suction boxes and thus avoid the formation of ridges. This is a theoretically satisfactory solution of the problem, but, with the methods heretofore suggested of crooking the woven wire belt the zigzag configuration of the belt was not permanent, it being found that the wire belt had an early tendency to become straightened after being installed on the paper making machine.

It is an object of the present invention to treat the woven wire belt in a manner which will produce a relatively permanent zigzag shape, such treatment consisting of stretching the belt between spaced points while aportion of the belt intermediate the spaced points is held laterally displaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide means adaptable for use on a stretching machine for laterally displacing the woven wire belt at a point intermediate the spaced stretching beams and retaining the belt in such displaced position while the beams are moved relatively apart in the stretching operation.

A further object is to engage the belt across its width to minimize wrinkling of the belt during the stretching operation.

A further object of the invention is to pera plan view of a stretching machine equipped I with the belt treating means of this invention; r Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a stretching machine, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the stretching machine taken along the line 3-3'of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail View showing the manner of supporting the belt-displacing means free of the belt at an intermediate point in the treatment of the belt,

Fig. 5 is a' developed view of the finished zigzag belt, I

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the supporting means seen 'in Fig. 4; parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the'pedestals for displacing the belt laterally, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 8 is a. fragmentary side elevation of the pedestal, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the pedestal,

and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the pedestal taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 2 showing the pedestal mounted in place on the stretching machine.

In these drawings, the numeral 10 designates a stretching machine frame including parallell side members 11 tothe upper surfaces of each of which are secured parallel trackforming bars 12 presenting a slot 13 between them. Bearing brackets 14 are secured to theadjacent end ortions of the-side members ll'and have ]ournalledtherein the opposite end portions of a horizontally disposed rotary stretching beam 15 which may be driven in any suitable manner. A pair of bearing brackets 16 are mounted on the track members 12 for movement therealong and have journalled therein the opposite end portions of a rotary stretching beam 17 arranged in parallel relation to the beam 15, the bearof a ing brackets 16 being urged along the tracks by suitable screw mechanism 18 driven in any suitable manner.

A pair of pedestals 19 and 20 are respectively mounted on the opposite side tracks of the stretching machine and each is provided with base flange 21 which slidably bears on the upper faces of the track-formin bars 12, the base flange having a spline 22 which slidably fits in the slot 13 between the bars. A horizontally-extending shaft 23 journalled in the lower portions of each pedestal is rotatable by a removable hand crank 24 and carries a pinion 25 which meshes with one of a pair of racks 26 respectively secured along the side frame members 11, thus enabling each pedestal to be conveniently moved to any desired position along the track-forming bars 12.

The bars 12 are provided with a series of suitably numbered spaced openings 27 for locating the opposite pedestals l9 and 20 in tals are clamped in their desired position by bolts 29 passing through the slots 13 and through clamping plates 30 beneath the track-forming bars 12.

The upper horizontal surfaces of each of the pedestals 19 and 20 are provided with trackways 31 receiving therein balls 32 which are held in position by a perforated ball re tainer 33. The ball retainer may be formed plate of any suitable material, such as fibre. The trackways 31 in the pedestals 19 and 20 extend transversely of the machine and register with similar trackways 34 formed in the bottom surfaces of respective carriages 35 and 36. The balls 32 are received in the trackways 34 and thus support the carriages 35 and 36 for horizontal movement transversely of the machine.

Each carriage 35 and 36 is provided with a depending lug 37 having threaded therein a shaft 38 which is journalled in the pedestal and held against axial movement in the pedestals by collars 39. Each threaded shaft 38 is rotated by a removable hand crank 40 to move the carriage on its supporting balls 32. A scale 41 is secured to an end of each of the carriages 35 and 36 and co-operates with a stationary pointer 42 secured to the subj acent pedestal to indicate the displacement of the carriage.

An upstanding flange 43 is integrally formed on each of the carriages 35 and 36 and is provided with a horizontally extending trackway 44 in one of its vertical side walls. The horizontal upper surface of each carriage is provided with trackways 45 arranged in parallel relation to the trackway 44, all of these trackways being formed longitudinally of the machine and at rightangles to the trackways 3 1 and 34. A pair of coupling plates 46 and 4'? are respectively mounted above the carriages 35 and 36. Each coupling plate is provided along a vertical side edge with a trackway 48 in register with the trackway 44 in the carriage, balls 49 being received in these trackways and held in position by a perforated ball retainer 50. The trackways 45 receive therein balls 51, which also enter trackways 52 formed in the horizontal bottom surface of the coupling plate, the balls being held in position by a perforated ball retainer 53. Each coupling plate is provided at one end with a depending stop flange 54 which is engageable with an end of the subjacent carriage to limit the movement of the coupling plate in one direction. A scale 55 is secured along the upper edge of the flange 43 on each carriage and co-operates with a pointer 56 secured to the coupling plate, the pointer being at a zero position when the stop flange 54 is in abutment with the carriage. A slot 57 is formed in the coupling plate and receives therethrough a bolt 58 which is threaded into the subjacent carriage to releasably lock the coupling plate to the carriage. Each coupling plate is provided on its upper surface with a pad 59 in which is formed an upwardly opening bore 60. An upstanding flange 61 is integrally formed 011 the coupling plate at the side of the pad nearest the stop flange 54, the adjacent plane surfaces of the pad and the flange 61 being arranged at right-angles.

An l-beam 62 extends transversely above the stretching machine frame and is provided at itsends with square extension bars 63 which are fixedly secured thereto. The squareextensionbars 63 of the I-beam rest on the pads 59 of the coupling plates 46 and 47 and abut laterally against the flanges 61, and are provided with depending pins 64 which removably enter the'bores formed in the coupling plates. The I-beam 62 is thus supported transversely of the machine with its web in vertical position.

7 The upper flange of the I-beam. 62 is provided with a strip of corrugated rubber matting 65 having its corrugations extending lengthwise of the flange to engage the upper flight of an endless woven wire belt 66 which is supported on the stretching beams 15 and 17. Another I-beam 67 extends transversely of the stretching machine above and parallel to the I-beam 62 and is provided along its lower flange with a strip of corrugated rubber matting 68 having its corrugations running lengthwise of the flange. The rubber strip 63 is adapted to bear on the upper surface of the upper flight of the woven wire belt, and the weight of the upper I-beam 67 is sufl'icient to cause the wire to be firmly clamped between the corrugated rubber strips 65 and 68. In practice, the upper I-beam 67 may be somewhat lighter than the lower I- beam 62. The opposite end portions of the lower I-beam 62 are provided with upstanding pins 69 which enter openings 7 0 in the upper I-bea-m 67 to accurately position the I-beams in parallel relation against displacement. The upper I-beam 67 is provided with extension bars 71 which are fixedly secured thereto. The end portions of the extension bars 63 and 71 on the I-beams are provided with annular grooves 7 2 and 73, respectively adapted to receive lifting hook bars 74 by which the I-beams can be handled either singly or together. Each hook bar is provided with a clevis 75 adapted to receive-a hook 76 secured to the end of a chain 77 which forms part of a suitable lifting device not shown. Each hook bar 74 is provided with two vertically spaced upwardly-opening recesses 78 and 79 to receive the grooved ends of the extension bars 63 and 71 and these recesses are spaced at such a distance that when the I-beams 62 and 67 are simultaneously supported from the hook bars, there will be a gap between the I-beams, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, to permit the woven wire belt 66 to pass freely between them.

WVhen the endless wovenwire belt 66 is to be stretched and crooked, it is supported between the stretching beams 15 and 17 as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the wire belt being approximately taut but not tight and the seam 80 of the belt being preferably arranged along one of the stretching beams to avoid possible injury of the seam during the stretching operation. The I-beam 62 extends transversely of the stretching machine approximately midway between the stretching beams 15 and 17 and the upper flight of the belt rests on the corrugated rubber strip secured along the upper flange of this I-beam. The pedestals 19 and 20, and the carriages 35 and 36 and the coupling plates 46 and 47 have been previously brought to their initial or zero.

positions, as indicated on the scales 41 and 55, the coupling plates being clamped in zero position by the bolts 58. The upper I-beam 67 is now lowered onto the wire belt with the corrugated rubber strip 68 in engagement with the upper surface of the belt, the pins serving to align the upper and lower I- beams. The weight of the upper I-beam 67 is sufficient to firmly clamp the woven wire belt between the corrugated rubber strips 65 and 68. The hand cranks 40 are then simultaneously turned'by attendants to opposite sides ofthe machine to displace the carriages 35 and 36 at right-angles to the direction of the belt, the carriages rolling on the balls 32. The coupling plates 46 and 47, which at this time are fixedly clamped to the carriages by the bolts 58, are displaced with the carriages, the pressure being transmitted through the balls 49. The I-beam 62, which is anchored on the coupling plates 46 and 47 by means of the pins 64, is correspondingly displaced transversely ofthe direction'of the belt and substantially in the plane of the belt, the I-beam being pulled at one side of the machine and pushed at the other side to distribute the load between the pedestals 19 and 20. V

The upper flight of the woven wire belt 66, which is clamped between the I-beams 62 and 67, is correspondingly displaced in its plane at right-angles to the-length of the belt. The displacement of the carriages 35 and 36 and of the woven wire belt operatively connected therewith is indicated on the scales 41 mounted at the ends of the carriages.

After the belt has been displaced in this manner a predetermined amount, the clamping screws 58 are released to render the cou-' pling plates 46 and 47 free to roll along the balls 49 and 51 during the subsequent stretching operation. WVhile the belt is held in such displaced position, the stretching beam 17 is moved b its screw mechanism in a direction away from the other stretching beam 15, thus stretching the belt both to remove irregularities therein incident to the weaving operation and also to produce a permanent crook in the belt as indicated in Fig. 1. During this stretching operation the I-beams 62 and 67 are free to move with the belt, since the coupling plates 46 and Y47 are free to roll along the carriages 35 and 36. During the travel of the coupling plates 46 and 47, the pointers 56 move over the scales 55, the extension of the belt being approximately four times the distance traversed by each of these pointers. During the stretching of the woven wire belt there is a tendency toward longitudinal wrinkling'of the belt at regions intermediate the. stretching beams, but this effect is materially reduced'since the belt is clamped by the I-beams 62 and 67 at an in- I x a p L teimediate poi tion of the upper flight or the 105 this is attained, the hook bars 74 are applied to the extension bars 71 and 63 of the I-beams 67 and 62, the upper I-beam 67 being lifted first and the lower I-beam lifted thereafter to release it from the coupling plates 46 and 47. The I-beams 62 and 67 are then simultaneously carried clear of the, coupling plates and then lowered a slight distance to permit the upper flight of the belt to pass freely between the I-beams, as seen in Fig. 4. The wire belt is then caused to travel a linear distance half its length by rotating the stretching beams 15 and 17 whereupon the upper and lower flights of the belt will be inter changed and the seam of the belt will lie along the other stretching beam. The I-beams 62 and 67 are then restored to the positions seen in Fig. 3, whereupon the wire belt is again crooked and stretched in the manner above described, except that the stretching may be less pronounced. In this second crooking operation, the first crook (now in the lower flight) has a tendency to become straightened out, but this can be compensated for by increasing the initial crooking of the belt so that the lower flight of the belt will remain suiiiciently crooked after the second crooking operation. After the wire belt is thus treated, it is removed from the stretching machine in a permanently crooked condition, as seen in Fig. 5, which is a developed view oi the finished belt, there being four succeeding flights of ditlerent angularity in the length of the belt.

The zigzag belt thus formed when placed in service on a paper making machine will run its normal life without danger of seam cutting, since the wear on the suction boxes is equalized. The zigzag configuration or the belt is relatively permanent and does not interfere with the practice of trimming the edges if they become unduly worn in service, since tere are no loose ends of warp wires to become exposed.

l/Vhile it would be possible to simultaneously crook both the upper and lower flights of the woven wire belt on the stretching machine by duplicating the clamping means for the belt and suitably modifying the stretching machine, this would greatly in crease the complexity of the apparatus without a corresponding gain in ease ofoperation. It would also be possible to crook the same flight of the wire belt at two or more points by duplicating the belt clamping and displacing means but this also would greatly increase the complexity oi the apparatus.

While the crooking of the belt could be eii'ected with the apparatus by first longitudinally stretching the belt and then laterally displacing it, it is preferred to first laterally shift the bel and then longitudinally stretch it, as above described, since the crooking is rendered more. permanent and the belt is subjected to less strain.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus .rQl' crooking a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at longitudinally spaced points, clamping means transversely engaging the belt at a region intermediate said spaced supporti means, means fordisplacing said clamping means laterally of the direction of the belt to shift the belt toward one side substantially in its plane for producing angularly related flights between said clamping means and said spaced points and means for stretching the belt longitudinally.

Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced parallel belt-supporting beams movable relatively apart, a pair of clamping members disposed. transversely of said belt to engage said belt between them at a region intermediate said supportng beams, means for displacing sa d clampmg members laterally of the direction of the belt and in substantially the plane of the belt, and means for relatively displacing said belt-supporting beams to stretch the belt longitudinally while said clamping members are held in displaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

3. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced parallel belt-supporting beams movable relatively apart, a pair of clamping members disposed transversely of said belt to engage said belt between them at a region mg means engaging the belt at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means and including an elongated member extending transversely of the belt, stationary supports disposed adjacent the opposite sides of the belt, carriages movably mounted on said respective supports, means for displacing said carriages on said supports transversely of the direction of the belt, means for coupling the end portions of said elongated member to said movable carriages for laterally displacing said belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so bold in laterally spaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

5. Apparatus for treating a woven Wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points, clamping means engaging the belt at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means and including an elongated member extending transversely of the belt, stationary supports disposed adjacent the opposite sides of the belt, carriages movably mounted on said respective support-s, coupling members mounted on said respective carriages for movement therealong longitudinally of the belt and having an operative connection with the opposite end portions of said elongated member, means for displacing said carriages and said coupling members transversely of the direction of the belt to efiect lateral displacement of the belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so 'erally displaced to crook the belt.

6. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points to present a substantially horizontal flight between said points, upper and lower clamping members disposed transversely of said belt to engage said belt between them at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means, means engaging the lower clamping members for moving said clamping members laterally of the direction of the belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in latposition, whereby to crook the belt.

7. Apparatus for treating a woven Wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points, a pair of clamping members disposed transversely of the belt at a region intermediate said supporting means, resilient corrugated strips carried on said clamping members for engaging and clamping the belt therebetween, means for moving said clamping members laterally of the direction of the belt to displace the belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching said belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

8. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, a frame structure having opposite parallel side tracks, a pair of spaced parallel belt-supporting beams mounted on said frame structure transversely of said tracks and being movwhile the belt is held in laterally displaced.

position by said clamping means, whereby to crook the belt.

9. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points to pre sent a horizontal flight, upper and lower clamping members disposed transversely of said belt to engage said belt between them at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means, said upper clamping member resting by its weight on the belt, means for supporting the opposite endportions of said lower clamping member, means acting on said lower clamping member for longitudinally moving said clamping members to displace said belt substantially in its plane and laterally of its length, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

10. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points to present a horizontal flight, upper and lower clamping members disposed transversely of said belt to engage said belt between them at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means, said upper clamping member resting by its weight on the belt, means for supporting the opposite end portions of said lower clamping member, means acting on said lower clamping member for longitudinally moving said clamping members to displace said belt in its plane. and laterally of its length, means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt, and suspension means for said clamping members to hold said clamping members in spaced position with the belt between them to enable the belt to travel therebetween after the stretching operation. I

11. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, a pair of clamping members extending transversely of the belt to clamp the belt'therebetween, means including said clamping members for displacing the belt laterally in its plane, means for longitudinally stretching the belt while it is held in displaced position, and means for handling said clamping beams including a pair of hook bars engaging the opposite end portions of said clamping members to suspend said clamping members in spaced position for enabling the belt to travel freely between them after the stretching operation.

12. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points and for stretching the belt longitudinally, and clamping means for transversely engaging the belt between its side edges at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means for preventinglongitudinal wrinkling of the belt While it is being stretched.

13. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at spaced points and for stretching the belt longitudinally, and a pair of clamping members extending transversely of the belt and engaging-opposite faces of the belt at a region intermediate said spaced supporting means forpreventing longitudinal wrinkling ofthe belt during the stretching operation. V

14. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at longitudinally spaced points, clamping means engaging said belt intermediate said spaced supporting means, supports arranged at opposite sides of the belt, carriages mounted on said supports for movement transversely of the belt, coupling means for operatively connecting said clamping means to said carriages, screw means for moving said carriages and the connected clamping means laterally of the direction of the belt to laterally displace said belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt. 7

15. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting the belt at longitudinally spaced points, clamping means engaging said belt intermediate said spaced supporting-means, supports arranged at opposite sides of the belt, carriages having a rolling mounting on said supports for movement transversely of the direction of the belt, coupling members having a rolling mounting on said respective carriages for movement therealong longitudinally of the belt and having an operative connection with said clamping means, means for confining said coupling members against relative lateral movement with respect to said carriages, means for displacing said carriages and coupling members transversely of the direction of the belt to effect lateral displacement of the belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

16. Apparatus for treating a woven wire belt, comprising, in combination, means for supporting a belt at longitudinally spaced points, clamping means engaging said beltintermediate said spaced supporting means, supports arranged at opposite sides of the belt, carriages having a rolling mounting on said supports for movement transversely of the belt and each carriage having a depending lug, coupling members having a rolling mounting on said respective carriages ior movement therealong longitudinally of the belt and having an operative connection with said clamping means, there being a shoulder on each carriage for confining said coupling members against relative lateral movement with respect to said-carriages, means for releasably locking said coupling members to said carriages, a screw member for each car riage operatively connecting said lug and the adjacent support to shift the carriage transversely of the direction of the beltfor later ally displacing said belt substantially in its plane, and means for stretching the belt longitudinally while the belt is so held in laterally displaced position, whereby to crook the belt.

17. The method of treating a woven wire belt which consists in supporting the belt at longitudinally spaced points, laterally displacing the belt in its plane at a region between the supporting points to produce angularly related flights between said points, and stretching the belt longitudinally while it is thus laterally displaced, whereby to crook the belt.

18. The method of treating an. endless vwoven wire belt which consists in supporting a portion of the belt between longitudinally spaced points, laterally displacing the belt in its plane at a region between the supporting points, stretching the belt longitudinally while it is thus laterally displaced, supporting another portion of the belt between said spaced points, laterally displacing the latter portion of the belt between said spaced points, and again longitudinally stretching the belt, whereby to form a Zigzag belt.

19. The method of crooking a woven wire belt which consists in supporting .the belt at points spaced longitudinally thereof, laterally displacing the belt in its plane at a region between the supporting points to produce angularly related flights between said points, and stretching the belt longitudinally.

Y In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ALBERT B. WVEISSENBORN. 

